Chapter at Sacramento State College (Now California State University -
Sacramento). Information presented here is based on reports from persons who
are generally considered to be reliable when sober, a tremendous advancement
from their college days.

About This Website

This site is a work under construction. The volume of photos on this page makes loading
somewhat slow, so please be patient. It was launched August 27, 2004 (and re-updated
with new material and corrections July 18, 2005), to support the
efforts made by a group of Alpha Sig alumni to plan and organize a "Sig
Bust Reunion" April 1-2, 2005. Lewis "Buzz" Nolan, Webmaster du
jour until such time that another brother should volunteer to take on the duty,
temporarily hosts the Siggy Raider site at an ATT WorldNet home page he developed.
Due to the time gap between some reports and publication, there can be no
guarantee of timeliness or absolute accuracy. Buzz can only promise that the
Siggy Raider aims to celebrate the enduring bonds of friendship and fond
memories of good times together at a great fraternity. Please send additions,
corrections and information on the whereabouts and activities of alumni to Buzz
for future posting in the Siggy Raider. Photos are welcome. His email is lewis_nolan@yahoo.com. Snail mail address is
196 North Highland, Memphis, TN 38111. Telephone is 901-327-8845.

Aftershocks from Sig Bust, a "Huge Success"

Nearly 100 persons gathered at Joe Mehrten's ranch for the Sig Bust Reunion Picnic April 2, 2005. There were
about 80 present for the dinner the previous night at a nearby winery. The overwhelming concensus was that everything was
close to perfect. Weather was delightfully obliging, with mostly clear skies and
highs in the upper 60s. The food at both the dinner (Thai-inspired cooking served in an open air plaza at
Vino Piazza in Lockeford, CA) and picnic (barbequed tri-tip, baked beans, salad and a "sex in a pan" dessert
beautifully served at Mehrten's Ranch near Clements, CA)
was outstanding. Wine tasting was available at the dinner and several cases of wine, beer and soft drinks were
served at the picnic - but unlike at Sig Busts of four decades ago, nary a Brother showed signs of excess
alchohol consumption.

The main event was catching up and sharing stories. Some of the Brothers hadn't seen one another in 40 or more years.
There were outbreaks of mirth popping off like fireworks at both occasions as the brothers recalled great memories
of good times long ago in Gamma Nu Chapter, Alpha Sigma Phi at Sacramento State. Displays of fraternity
memorabilia, including college yearbooks, pledge paddles, drinking mugs, old photos and other material captured
a lot of interest from the Alpha Sigs and their spouses/guests.

A companion website at http://photos.yahoo.com/siggy_raider has been established to house the about 400 photos
taken by Truman Holtzclaw, Buzz Nolan and Jack Schafer of the Sig Bust events.
To access click

Here are a few comments made after the twin events; additional comments are welcome and should be sent to Buzz.

"What a great two days of sharing memories and talking to
Brothers I haven't seen for many years. We really were a great group of guys and continue to be. Those that had thought
about coming and for whatever reason couldn't make it missed an award-winning time. The planners deserve our
heartfelt thanks." - From Ron Wudel of Gold River, CA, who attended with his wife, Mary. He is retired from Blue Cross-Blue Shield.

"Many thanks to all the Brothers for making the Sig Bust 2005 a success, especially to all who helped plan
the event. I especially thank Joe and Ann for their hospitality. Thanks also to Rimas for taking his time and
expense in silk screening our shirts. I assume that no one took him up on his offer to silk screen their car doors.
I think Paschal Monk would have really been proud of us all. I've always held fond memories of my days in the
fraternity, not the least of which is the duet of Skip and Milt playing Moon River on duck calls. What a classic. Thanks
all." - From Jim Cook of Sacramento, who attended with his wife, Zoe.

"Thank you for helping make Saturday's Sig Bust a great success. Your web site was instrumental in
generating the excitement to bring us all together again. It was truly nice to see everyone again after all the
years. Joe's ranch is as beautiful as I remember from 40 years ago." - From George and Joyce Max of
Davis, CA.

"Great to see you and everyone else. Rebecca and I enjoyed the day. I have my photos out being processed
(prints and CD). Will edit and provide you with a CD. I think Truman will do the same. (note: pix from both
are posted on a companion website at http://photos.yahoo.com/siggy_raider). If you did not pick up one of Tom's
DVDs, get one from him. He did a very nice job on it. You will enjoy seeing it. " - From Jack Schafer of Fair Oaks, CA.

"I just mailed off the third bunch of DVDs. There were 23 that wanted one. I then mailed
off 24 other ones to people I thought would want one (including some who did not attend the
reunion. If anyone else who did not get one should want it, I can still burn one and mail it." From
Tommy Morris who lives in Ventura, CA with wife Barbara. Tommy produced
the hour-long DVD media presentation made using Photodex's ProShow Gold. The
DVD has seven separate shows: four separate school calendar years (1959-60 through 62-63); 1963-65; We Have
Changed (now and then); Tribute to Fred Lizalde. "The pictures were scanned from Barbara's four Sac State
yearbooks; my black and white photos; my digital photos; from Sharon Howell's photos; and from Buzz's Siggy Raider
Website." One of Tommy's hobbies is making
digitalized slide shows using his computer training and photography skills. His costs for making the CD available
is $2 to cover postage and materials. (Buzz Nolan has reviewed the DVD
and reports, "This is fabulous. It reminds me of a PowerPoint presentation on steroids - complete with music of
the times, fancy graphics, special effects that move around and wisecracking narration. There are many dozens of
great pictures of the Brothers and Little Sisters that include a lot of sports and team shots with individuals identified by name."
Viewing requires either a DVD player (a $25 disk-playing device that is hooked to your TV for
showing movie rentals) or a DVD drive on a late model
computer. Contact Tommy at 805-647-2977 for more information.)

"Great Reunion! My wife Sandy and I had a wonderful time attending the
reunion. Your web site helped to make it a big big success! "Thank you!"
I went through and labeled the reunion images. We ended up with about 356
good images. I sized them 5 inches X 7 inches at 300 dpi. Any body who
wants can have a high quality print made up to 10 X 15 inches without any
problems. There are two CD disks, one for Friday (176 images) & one for
Saturday (180 Images). You can tell everybody that I
will mail them the two CD's for $5.00. That will cover my expenses. Thanks
again for all of your time." -From Truman Holzclaw of Fair Oaks, CA. These
CDs can be played as slide shows on just about any computer that has a CD drive.
Contact Truman at 916-966-2917 for more information about this fantastic opportunity
to have copies of his expert event photos that can be copied for about 30 cents
each at camera shops and such processing centers as Walgreens.

"The Sig Bust went very well and everybody seemed to enjoy it a lot. I know we did. Several of
us are talking about doing another one in three or so years." - From Gary Bramon, who with wife
Toni played a major role in organizing the event. They live in Novato, CA, where he is a financial planner
with a regional and national clientele.

"Thanks for the great picture of Linda and me. Our reunion was just outstanding and we enjoyed
every minute. It's hard to believe a life time has passed since we saw most of the brothers. But time waits
for one one." - From John Alexander, who lives in Atascadero, CA, with wife Linda. He is a
Brigadier General and Assistant Adjutant General of the California National Guard.

"Thanks for the up date of Sig Bust. I came late and had dinner and was at the Saturday meeting.
I did pay and since I do not appear on the list of attendees thought maybe I was invisible. Hope not.

"I had a wonderful time meeting with all the brothers that I have not seen for many years.
One thing that seemed somewhat strange was that after dinner on Friday we all turned in early
(At least that seemed to be the case). Then on Saturday the party ended around (sunset). Whow!
what a difference from college days. The party would have gone into the early morning hours with
everyone complaining that we were out of Beer! Especially, Tim Fitzer, and my mentor Art Derby.

"Although I have kept in contact with several of the brothers over the years It seems that this
was the best get together we had since the Sig Busts of OLD when we were all young and full
of energy. At least more energy than most brothers showed at this Sig Bust. One exception was
Steve Sipes. I want to thank all those who made this the best Sig Bust yet. That includes the
wives who did most of the work? According to Gary?

"By the way I have and will be restoring the Pledge Album for my Pledge Class.
We pledged in 1963 and became actives in 1964. If any of the pledge members would like
to assist, let me know. We have some blank pages. Maybe we could find a few more old pictures
to add to the Pledge Album for future events.

"It was really good to see Rimas Visgirda and Dick Hotchkiss, who inspired me to take a Ceramics
class my last semester in college. One of the most enjoyable classes ever taken. Just a note to everyone
who attended. Lets do it again SOON! As always, Clyde O. West.
If you add my name to the list it will make 100 present." - From Clyde O. West, who lives
in Sacramento.

There were only a few no-shows from the reservations made for
78 persons for the April 1 Reunion Dinner and for 99 persons for the April 2, 2005 Reunion Sig Bust Picnic. There
were others who really wanted to attend, but pre-paid committments like the family trip to Hawaii by Gary and
Pam Toombs prevented them from joining in the fun. Several loyal Brothers cited distance, expense and health
reasons. Oddly, there were only a very few that basically said, "Drop Dead" for unknown reasons. Regrettably, there are
still other Brothers in the "lost" category who could not be located despite Herculean efforts by organizers and the
assistance of Sac State.

Virtually all of the following Brothers and their spouses or
guests showed up for the listed events. Parenthetical information and comments following several names are from
Buzz Nolan, who invites additions and corrections.

>> 1. Bob Baysinger

> 2. Elaine Baysinger

> 3. Gary Bramon (He did much of the heavy lifting in organizing the events and motivating others. He
served ably and well as a host and emcee.)

> 4. Toni Bramon (Served as a welcoming hostess and gave out nametags and Gamma Nu alumni
rosters that she organized and prepared. She is due much applause.)

> 5. Milt Briggs

> 6. Janet Mahan

> 7. Skip Brown

> 8. JoAnne Brown

> 9. Arnie Carston (Owns a thriving flooring company in the Bay Area.)

> 10. Gayle Carston

> 11. Gary Curtis

> 12. Kathy Curtis

> 13. Art Derby (On the wagon but still a classic. Did not wear white socks).

> 14. Kim Derby

> 15. Jerry Dron

> 16. Sue Dron

> 17. Tim Fitzer (Like Derby, on the wagon but still a classic teller of great stories. Owns an ice business
and drives a drop-dead, gorgeous 1957 Chevvy.)

> 18. Sara Fitzer

> 19. George Grossman (Working as an executive at an Arizona bank after 31 years with Ford Motor Co. Credit.)

> 20. Truman Holtzclaw (Photographer par excellance, up at 5 a.m. the next day to process digital shots).

> 21. Sandy Holtzclaw

> 22. Bob Howell

> 23. Kazuko Howell

> 24. Sharon Howell

> 25. John Hunter (Provided many pictures and old SSC yearbook pages for Siggy Raider.

> 26. Sue Hunter

> 27 Jack Jenkins (Served as event co-honcho and dinner emcee with Bramon. Works parttime in
administration for community college in Stockton, CA. Travels to watch slugger son Geoff play right field for
Milwaukee Brewers.)

Sig Bust planners were in 'the groove'

(Following is an email sent by Milt Briggs about the planning
meeting for the Sig Bust Reunion.
There were 15 Alpha Sigs in attendance at the meeting Jan. 8, 2005, at Joe Mehrten's ranch near
Clements, Calif., south of Sacramento. Milt wrote the following.

"We had a great meeting at Joe Mehrten's Ranch last Saturday. There were quite a few brothers there.
The meeting was very relaxed with business issues completed amongst memories and stories of the
old days. With Joe chairing the meeting, it was just like the groove of the old days.
It was really enjoyable. There is something about this Alpha Sig group that remains
unusual in terms of affection and acceptance. It "grinned me right down to my toes." Joe and Ann were
so great to us, providing lunch and the meeting place. The Sig Bust should be super. Thanks for your work
on the website. There was appreciation expressed for what you wrote about Pete Siller. He was quite a
well rounded, enthusiastic person no doubt. A loss. Who knows the cost? Whenever I am near the Capitol,
I stop by the memorial and find his name." - Brother Milt Briggs, Jan. 15, 2005.

(Note: Contact addresses will not be posted on this
website without permission for reasons of privacy and to reduce the risks of
spamming. Contact Gary for specifics. The "public"email address for Siggy Raider Webmaster
Lewis Nolan is posted since he believes it is already on every spam list in the
world).

Statements
-

The following tidbits of news about Alpha Sigs from Sac
State come from the named alumni. All alumni are cordially invited to write a few
sentences (or as many as you like) about your activities and any old memories you care to share and to
send the report to
Buzz Nolan for future publication in Siggy Raider.

Federal Express' world headquarters in Memphis in late 2003, one of thousands of
employees who accepted a buyout/early retirement program. He is living in
Collierville, TN, a Memphis suburb, with his wife of 15 years. Dewey has been
an active participant in the Masters Swimming program, qualified for and swam in
the 2003 Senior Olympics and has kept his weight
at a trim 170 pounds for many years. After Sac State, he worked for Allstate in Sacramento, then moved
to San Diego, where he was employed by Lone Star Insurance, which later transferred him to the
company's headquarters in Dallas. He worked for several insurance concerns in
Texas, Indiana and Chicago for someyears and then oversaw the United Methodist Church's health insurance
program for ministers from the church office. He accepted a job with FedEx and
relocation to Memphis six years ago. With his extensive background and experience in managing
health insurance plans for major employers, Dewey recently prepared for and
passed an examination that led to his certification as a qualified agent for the sale
of health insurance. He is organizing a business that will offer affordable major medical
insurance to individuals
and families not covered by group policies. He currently is training for the qualifying trials in several
swimming events next
spring that ramp up to the 2005 Senior Olympics. Dewey's question as a cancer survivor to all brothers
is, "Do you know your PSA score?" -

Dewey Howell, Nov. 1, 2004

Lewis "Buzz" Nolan - "I have always
treasured my time as an active Alpha Sig. I married the last woman who wore my
fraternity pin; we recently celebrated our 36th anniversary. After
college graduation and military service, I worked for The Commercial Appeal, a
metro newspaper in Memphis owned by Scripps-Howard, as a Bureau Chief, reporter
and Business Editor. I joined Schering-Plough Consumer Operations as Vice
President of Communications in 1984, leaving in 1996 during a
restructuring/downsizing. I then served briefly as Vice President for
Communications and Government Relations of Guardsmark, Inc., a national

security services firm based in Memphis. I retired from fulltime work in 1998.
If any Alpha Sigs should want to know more about what's been going on in my
life, please see my websites. An index to a hobby series of travelogues I've
written about our family trips to Ireland, France, England and other places is
at nolantravels1/.
An index to a family history book that I wrote is at http://lewis_nolan/.home.att.net/ -
click the link to the sub page "About the Author" for my biographical
summary. A warning: Both websites have lots of vacation photos." - Buzz Nolan, Sept. 12, 2004

Gary Anderson
- "Wife Linda and I are living in Stockholm, Sweden while Linda completes a two year executive assignment with IBM.
I retired about four years ago when it became apparent that Linda's opportunities could carry us about the country
and the world. I'd spent the first part of my career in international merchant banking, then ran two start up
tech companies and did venture capital and then formed a mediation and negotiations firm.
I had a great time in all of it, as well as raising three great kids. We will be in Stockholm for another year
with current plans to return to the US after that. However, a year is a long time in Global Outsourcing
and you never know what Linda will be asked to do next or where.
She is at a level at which she can largely pick and choose and is then sufficiently pampered to
make life quite pleasant. We've kept our home in Ridgefield, Connecticut and recently bought
Linda's mother's home in Asheville, North Carolina as a second home.
Linda has only five years until retirement and Asheville seems like a good place to use as a base.
Besides, it is just an hour north of son Scott and his family. My daughter, Nadean, who was Alpha Sig's
Littlest Little Sister as a baby, still lives in Placerville, just above Sacramento.
Her oldest daughter Jennifer is just finishing her junior college year semester abroad in New Zealand.
It doesn't seem possible that a third generation is enjoying that phase of life that we are so fondly
remembering here.
However, while starting young, I didn't finish the baby business until my late 30's so
have a daughter that has just finished her studies at the University of Washington.
We had the whole family in Stockholm for two weeks this summer. The grandkids stayed with us
and the kids and spouses decided to stay at a small hotel down the street. Having a house full of
five kids 4 through 17 was a tiring, yet great experience.Just wanted to say a quick hello and thanks
for your efforts on the home page." - Gary Anderson, Sept. 13, 2004

Gary Warddrip - "I found this picture a couple of months ago. You probably know who these brothers are but just in case you do
not, from left to right they are: Dennis Sartini, Sam Miller, Bill Kaslar and Don Covell. I believe they were

singing at a playboy party. Thanks for setting up the website and sending out information. It is a shame
we have to get "old" before we start thinking about our college friends. You may know my wife
of 39 years is Caron Case, a little sister in 1963-64. We both just retired and are planning to move to
Vancouver Washington which is just across the Columbia River from Portland OR. Caron and I send
our best wishes to you and your family. Please do stop and see us if you ever come to
the beautiful Northwest. We have many Micro Breweries with beer at least as good as Ireland. The
Olympia Brewery which brewed one of my college favorites closed a year ago!!!!!!" - Fraternally yours,
Gary Warddrip,
2250 River Heights Circle
West Linn, OR 97068; 503-657-1540. Sept. 15, 2004. (Subsequent to the above Statement, Caron was packing for the move and came across the
original lyrics of songs she and Little Sister
Sally Schock had written about Gamma Nu and performed with other Little Sisters for the brotherhood.
It had been typed on old, manual Smith-Carona typewriter. She kindly passed a scanned copy on to Siggy Raider
and to Jack Jenkins, the then-president of the Chapter. The following Statement from Caron was in response to
a request from Buzz Nolan for her OK to post the song on this website. A copy of the scan may be accessed from a link
in the
Pages From The Past section toward the bottom of this webpage or directly at
Little Sisters Song.

Caron (Case) Warddrip - "Of course you can post the songs on the website.
I think the scanner cut off the last line of the Jack Jenkins song.
The ending should read:

The leaders of the country,
The leaders of the West,
The leaders of the campus,
THE BEST OF ALL THE REST!

I think that Sally and I composed these songs together. I haven't been in
contact with any of the other Little Sisters since Gary and I got married in 1965. Jack did say
that he ran into Sally at something through his school district. We had heard years ago that Sally's
husband, Carl Podesta, committed suicide. How sad.

Yes, moving is a BIG pain! We moved six years ago into our current home but we were both working
full time and ran out of time to go through everything. We are building a home in Vancouver and
moving for tax purposes (no state income tax). Now that we are both retired, that is a large savings
for us! We agree that a garage sale is way too much work at this stage of life. Apparently we have
the same type of humidity in the NW that you do in Memphis (a reference to a comment from Buzz
about

how the Southern humidity gets in his closet and shrinks the waistline of his clothing so much).
We've taken about 15 bags of clothes to Goodwill that have shrunk over the years! I found
a suitcase in the back of a closet that was full of size 6 clothes. Of course, the memory gets
fuzzy at this age as well, but I didn't think I had worn size 6 since I was age 6!

I also wanted to share a Pete Siller memory with you. What I remember about Pete was that he
really had to study hard for his grades. I, too, had to make good use of my time if I was going to
carry a full load of classes, work 20 hours a week and still have time to party with the Alpha Sigs.
One day I was searching for a place to "hide out" in the library and found the
perfect "out of sight" place--a table that could seat 3 in an obscure corner behind
several racks of books. I had been studying about 20 minutes when I was joined by Pete. He looked
surprised to see me there as this was his "hiding place". We laughed and agreed to only chat
for five minutes and then study. My whole last year we met each other frequently in that place
and always stuck to our five minute "chat" limit. I've always felt bad that he studied so
hard for his degree and never got to use it. Like others, when Gary and I went to
Washington D.C., we visited the Memorial and found his name. I remember Pete
as a man of integrity and compassion who truly cared about other people.

Gary and I have located our Alpha Sig mugs and plan on bringing them to Sig Bust. What fun it
will be to see everybody! Thanks for putting together a great website for us all to take a stroll down
Memory Lane." - Little Sister Caron (Case) Warddrip, March 6, 2005

Michael Levison - "My wife Regina and I live in El Dorado, CA outside of Placerville
in the beautiful Sierra Foothills. We run a physician recruitment firm. The company has been in existence
since 1988 and specializes in placing physicians in California, Oregon, and Washington. We live on 5 acres
and run the business from our home. We have recruiters who work for us out of their homes.
We love the beauty and serenity of the area. For fun we love to travel. We just got back from a week
on the North Carolina Outer Banks. Next week we will be in New England for the Fall Foliage and
a trip to Boston for a few days. In fact, Arnie Carston and his wife will be going with us to New England.
Arnie and I have remained very close friends through the years. I also have been walking marathons
and half-marathons to try and keep in shape. I recently completed the San Francisco half-marathon
and will be doing the Sacramento and Phoenix marathons in the next few months. I have a 25 year daughter
who owns an equestrian center in Marin County, CA. Attached is a recent photo of my wife and myself.
Something must be wrong with the picture because I cannot believe I have so much white hair -- just kidding.

Dick Hotchkiss
- "A lot of water under the bridge. I plan on attending the Sig bust also.
Over the years I drifted away from the contacts of college life. However,
Rimas and I have continued to be good friends and have collaborated on many
projects . The training ground that was our fraternity allowed me to
understand the importance of the group dynamic and in the last 40 years I
have often used the skills obtained through that formative time in my life.
I think about those kids we all were and wonder how things would be if we
hadn't known the cooperation of the house and the joys and traumas that came
with it. I was not a politician then and I have not changed. Still a
friendly guy with a hand out to assist others, never expecting anything in
return. George Schurr was a strange guy. He gave me a place to grow. The
House was good. I often mention my fraternity fondness to people who did
not have the experience. They can never understand.

"Professionally, I have managed to keep the slate clean throughout the last
forty years, never ending up in jail for wrongdoing. I am still in
Education, currently working for a Community College in my home town of Grass Valley, California. I do
not know how much longer I will continue to do that but certainly for a good
bit more. I really like what I do. It has been like being retired for all
these years. I never feel the grind of having to go to the job.

"My health has been mostly good and I still maintain my body through regular
exercise. I have been married three times. Currently, I am single and have
no plans to change that. My only child is now forty one and doing very well
in her life. I have one grandchild who is 11 years old. I raise a great
garden.

"My computer skills do not extend beyond using the keyboard so I cannot
supply you with any visuals. I like to keep it simple. Too much shit in
the head makes for sleepless nights." - Dick Hotchkiss, Chicago Park, CA, Sept. 28, 2004

(The following statement and photograph was hijacked from
Dick's introduction to the film, "The Climbing Kiln of Woolman Lane," which is posted at the Wood Fire movie website at
http://homepage.mac.com/pattyeacobacci/Personal7.html)
- "In 1971, my friend and studio partner, Rimas VisGirda, and I designed a six chamber, wood fired,
climbing kiln that was subsequently built by the students and instructional staff of the workshop
known as "Earth Air Fire Water". That workshop ( 1971-1978) and the kiln that was constructed,

is still a pioneer in the world wide ceramic community. The kiln, sixty feet long and over a
thousand cubic feet is not a replica of a Japanese folk kiln, it is truly a product of Yankee ingenuity.
An introduction of woodfire techniques from the Earth Air Fire Water experience were featured in
slide shows and film presentations at the NCECA conferences in Flagstaff Arizona, Madison
Wisconsin, and College Pennsylvania. This exposure sparked the woodfire explosion
that has spread to ceramists everywhere. The notoriety for the kiln that caused the stir faded
with time but the kiln and it's use did not. For over thirty years this unique facility has
continued to be a learning tool to the thousands of minds that have known it's flames. The kiln,
still working and producing thousands of objects in a twice a year firing schedule, attracted the attention
of Patty Eacobacci, a filmmaker who resides in Nevada County in Northern California. Patty was
introduced to the magic of the climbing kiln quite by accident. A friend who knew of her talent
as a filmmaker asked her to visit during a firing. Art happens. The vision that was to take Patty
on a new journey was that of a person being introduced to a subject that put her in touch with
her artistic senses. She began in earnest, first asking permission then moving, shooting, talking,
and working around the clock to capture the feeling of an almost "lost art". Her film,
"The Climbing Kiln of Woolman Lane" is an artistic vision of the beauty of the process,
the people, the intensity, and the products. Patty saw and captured the magic and the innocence
of the place, and the dedication of those who have been mystified by this unique experience.
I thank her." - Richard Hotchkiss, H and V pottery, Planet Earth

O. Truman Holtzclaw
- "Truman was a biology teacher by profession (Retired 6/22/01), a photographer by passion. He blends these
activities in his roles as past presidents of the Sacramento Audubon Society and the Sierra Camera Club.
He also has worked as a park naturalist for the State of California. After 15 years of serious photography,
Truman has acquired and perfected the skills to artfully blend his biology background and his love of nature
to create a collection of about 80,000 beautiful images. As his photography reflects, Truman understands
how life systems work and interact. He studies wildlife in the great outdoors, and social life in our society at large.
His favorite subject matter is nature, but he enjoys most all forms of photography. His photographic
activities include attending and presenting workshops, leading field trips, competing in local and
international competitions, preparing and presenting multimedia programs, evaluating photographic
competitions, leading photo treks, photographing weddings, banquets, professional workshops and
sporting events. Travels have taken him to the Amazon, the Andes, the Galapagos Islands, Germany,
Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France and England; as well as Canada and the United States including
Alaska and Hawaii. Six weeks as an exchange teacher in southern Japan also added to his photographic files.

Although his foreign travels were wonderful, his favorite area for photography is still the western United States." (This
statement taken from Truman's website at http://abiphotos.com. The site features his photography. Truman and
his wife, Sandy, live at 7970 Archer Ave., Fair Oaks, CA 95628. His home telephone is (916) 966-2917; cell
is (916) 214-2917). September 25, 2004.

Rimas VisGirda
- "I first heard about this website from Hotchkiss, who forwarded
an e-mail he got from somebody... so now I see I'm on
the website -thanks. Some other news is that we have a
Tadas, a 3 yr old, and Jonas, a 7 month old - and that's
Yo-nus (not like the guy that got swallowed by the
whale -but I think that was Jonah anyway no matter how
you look at it, he's gonna have a tougher time with his
name than I did... the rest of the family are Benny
the dog, Fred the parrot and Fiction and Form the
cats. The mother of my children (whose father I am of
her children) is Billie Jean Theide and she is Head of
Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design in the School of Art
and Design at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign (main campus). -Phew.
I retired from teaching in '96 and now just work in
the studio and teach short-term technique workshops at
different places around the country -but mostly I take
care of Jonas -Tadas goes to school all day. He's a lab
rat in the Child development laboratory at the
university. If anyone is interested in my work you can
type my name into Google and you'll get a couple of
pages of things to look at -a lot of the entries are
just breezebys but the ones at "CERAMICS TODAY" AND
"CERAMICS TECHNICAL" AND "DAILE" could be worth a
look. I will try my best to make it to CA for the party
at start of April -or is it an April-fools kind of
date?? Can you send me Arnie Carston's address and contact
info -my Palm died with a bunch of addresses that I
lost with it. Any news or knowledge about John
Georgakakos?" - Regards, Rimas VisGirda. 2111 Belmont Park Lane, Champaign, IL 61822-9401.
Telephone (home) 217-398-1956; (cell) 217-377-7557. Sept. 23, 2004

(The following description of Rimas' world-class ceramic work is from his website at
http://www.guild.com/artist/1238.html.)
"One of my fundamental beliefs is that experience affects everything one does; sometimes immediately

and sometimes not until years later." In his pottery, Rimas VisGirda outlines sketches with a black
engobe, using wax to protect the parts of the pot he doesn’t want to color yet. After the
first firing, he applies bright glazes between the lines and refires the piece to bring out the vivid colors.
VisGirda's work has changed considerably in the thirty years that he’s been creating pottery. His work has
gradually evolved from the simple, functional forms to the sophisticated, whimsical pieces he now produces.
Sharp-edged Picasso-like images represent our complex, urbanized world.

Gary Toombs, of course, worked in administration at Cal State Stanislaus in Turlock.
He has retired, and works in real estate some, but also keeps up a wonderful garden! When you
go to their home and have dinner, they pick the vegetables while you are there and cook them.
We have visited with them off and on over the years. Our kids knew each other fairly well.
My Gary and I married a year before we graduated, which cut into fraternity and
sorority time that last year. Gary and I have been married for 40 years. We live in Clovis, CA. I work
in Fresno and Gary has an office in downtown Clovis. Gary is actually in his second career as well.
He owns a Management Recruiters franchise and is a headhunter specializing in high level management
positions in the food industry. He started out after college in the retail industry.
We are looking forward to seeing everyone in the spring. I think Toni and Gary have our phone number
as they called. Our address is 2100 San Gabriel Ave. Clovis, CA 93611." - Sincerely, Vicki
"Eickhoff" Hendrickson, Sept. 17, 2004

Jack Schafer
- "I pledged Alpha Sig in 1962 and became a brother on 2/9/62, Tim Fitzer was
my big brother. Tim Fitzer, Rudy Montalvo, John Moreno, Jerry Dron, and I
were transfers from Stockton College, now San Joaquine Delta College to
Sacramento State. I was an Art Major at Sac State with an emphasis in Ceramics and
Printmaking. I married Ona Winterberger (an SAS little sister) in February
of 1963 during my senior year; many of the Alpha Sig brothers attended the
wedding and some were part of the wedding party. After my 1963 graduation, I
worked as an artist and draftsman for a landscape architectural firm, then
went to work for KXTV Channel 10, where I created everything from set design
to TV Guide Ads. I left Channel 10 in 1970 and became an Art Director for a
small advertising agency, then became the Art Director for El Dorado Hills
(owned by John Hancock Insurance company at that time). When the housing

market took a downturn in 1970, I became a freelance graphic designer. In
September of that year I was offered a teaching position at Sutter Middle
School which I accepted. As the 1970/71 school year came to a close I was
asked to teach ceramics at Del Campo HS where I teach ceramics, photography,
and graphic design currently (I concur with Hotchkiss, teaching is like
being partially retired, I'm not anxious to leave) I earned an MA in 1972
along with a K12 Credential and a Community College Credential. Teaching has
opened many doors and allowed me to study ceramics in a variety of places,
including Japan.

"Ona and I have two boys, Joel (40) and Jason (37). Joel owns his
own
business in Southern California and is known as Mr. BigSquirt.
www.bigsquirt.com. He is the father of a girl. Jason lives with his girl
friend in the mountains near Chico and has become a goat farmer. Ona and I
were divorced in 1977; Ona lives in the Chico area and lost her second
husband (a MediVac pilot) in a rescue mission two years ago. I remarried in 1979. On
October 3 of this year, Rebecca and I will celebrate
25 years. We live in a 1940's cottage in the rolling, oak studded hills of
Fair Oaks, CA. We've been remodeling the old house since 1983 and this year
tackled the dining room and kitchen. We've been raising and training Golden
Retrievers for a number of years. I was raised in the Sacramento River Delta (Rio
Vista); Jerry Dron is from Isleton; Mick and Skip Brown are from Rio Vista as well.

"My agriculture
roots are still intact. I own and operate two duck clubs in the Suisun Marsh
and function as the president of a reclamation district covering 1200 acres.
My interest in history has emerged in two ways I had not expected. I
communicate with relatives in the US, Canada, and Germany doing German
Russian family research. I'm thankful my great-grandparents made that
arduous journey from the Crimea, South Russia in 1876. They could not have
known how that immigration would effect so many unborn generations. I also recreate
agricultural equipment graphics, sometimes using only photos
or a weathered panel from a tractor. I can reconstruct the original graphics,
which are then either made into decals or hand painted to the restored
equipment. (Details are at http://www.goldenstatefarm.org/1918.html). A restored 1915 Yuba
Ball Tread Tractor is on display in the Yuba Memorial Museum, Sutter County
and a 1916 Yuba Ball Tread Tractor recently went to a museum in North
Carolina. See http://www.steamengine.com.au/events/reports/grass_valley_2002/pics/yuba-bal
l-tread-tractor-marysville-ca.jpg). Other work on Caterpillar tractors and the
1918 Samson tractor (from Stockton CA) is ongoing." - Jack Schafer, Sept. 28, 2004.

(Jack earlier sent the following statement regarding some fellow Alpha Sigs).
- "Nice to see your effort on behalf of Gamma Nu.
Here is a list of brothers I may be able to provide addresses for: Norman
"Skip" Brown, Charles "Mick" Brown, Dick Hotchkiss, Rimas VisGirda, Dale
Mahon, Truman Holtzclaw and Fred Stevenson; only a few have email addresses
that I am aware of.
Mick and Skip were both owners of Delta Construction, a family owned company
in Sacramento started by their father in 1945. Skip's company is Delta Construction, engineering contractors.
Information about the company is at
http://www2.cslb.ca.gov/CSLB_LIBRARY/License+Detail.asp?LicNum=00257024.
Some years ago, Mick struck out on his own and formed B&B Asphalt. It has
been a few years since I've seen Mick, we went fly fishing together, he is
as good with a fly as he always was. His business is at 6610 Asher Lane, Sacramento,
95828. The business phone is (916) 383-2888. Fred Stephenson went to law school at UC Berkeley,
was admitted to the bar in 1966 and is
practicing law in Sacramento. Information about him is at
http://members.calbar.ca.gov/search/member_detail.aspx?x=39418.
Dale Mahan moved to the family ranch on Grant Line Road, Elk Grove some years ago.
We had a Sig Bust or pledge party there when I pledged, 1962. Dale's mom
always told me Dale could get lost walking out the back door of the ranch
house. I found that to be true as Russ Mentink, Dale, and I became lost in the
Sierra Nevada near his grandparents' mountain homestead. We found our way
back at 2 am in the morning. A large family search party was out looking for
us. Dale is a lawyer. Information about him is at
http://pview.findlaw.com/view/2643830_1?noconfirm=0
I've not seen Dick Hotchkiss in a number of years, he still lives in the Chicago
Park/Grass Valley foothill area. Dick was an outstanding decathlete at Sac State. I believe he has competed as a
senior decathlete as well. I worked with Dick and Rimas VisGirda at one of their month-long pottery workshops at
John Woolman School near Grass Valley/Nevada City. I later studied ceramics
in Japan, which is what I still teach today. Rimas lives in the East. He is a house dad and his wife
is an educator. His website is at
http://www.guild.com/artist/1238.html.
Your comments about Peter Siller brought back a flood of memory; he was a
great guy. I was deeply saddened by his death in VietNam. I remember that one night,
Janet Anderson and I drove Peter home
from an Alpha Sig party. . . We, one of us on
each side of him, carried him into the house and up the stairs to his
bedroom and left him in his bed to sleep it off. I am sure the family never
knew we had done that, Peter may not have remembered it either." - Jack Schafer, Sept. 19, 2004

Tommy Morris
- "Here is a picture of Fred Lizalde dancing with Sharon Howell at Nick Lizalde's wedding in
San Diegeo. Nick is the son of Fred and Vivian Lizalde.

Also enclosed (and posted on the Photo Gallery page), is a program from Fred's Memorial
Service after his death Dec. 18, 2003. Sharon came down from Sacramento and I came over from
Ventura. I'm also adding a picture of Barbara watching Dewey Howell play croquet plus several shots of the
1965 Sigbust. For the old timers again,
Barbara was in the first group of Little Sisters. I will try and remember to scan some pictures of our
wedding (3 Aug 63) which show more Alpha Sigs who were there." - Tommy & Barbara Morris,
102 San Benito Ave., Ventura, CA 93004, Sept. 19, 2004

Gary Rempel
- "To the "Raiders of the Night," Here is the fine mess I found myself in after graduation. After law
school at McGeorge, I literally got out a map and picked out San Diego for the sailing, beaches and
weather. I immediately joined Old Mission Beach Athletic Club. OMBAC is the nation's premier rugby
club, and the closest thing I could find to Alpha Sig. Now I live in a heavily-palmed area of northern
San Diego County called "Vista." I have a number of small racing dinghies, catamarans, and sailboards
that are used too infrequently, but I have never resorted to playing golf. I played a tiny bit of rugby as a
scared scrum half; a lot of hoops in about every league in this county; and plenty of city league football
and soccer until I blew out a knee, about '92, running for the weekly T-shirt (there was a race
or two every week around here). I rarely get to Sacramento, so I have lost touch with most of you.
I have some contact with former roommates Rich "Soothe" Sutton and "Rude" Rog Withers, but am
curious to hear what Jim Tomasini; Rimas ViGirda; Art Derby; Dick Hotchkiss and other classics did
with their lives. I got a little notoriety over the past three + decades as a trial lawyer for the District Attorney,
as the dirt bags I prosecuted got headlines and sometimes threatened to kill me. So nothing much
has changed about my social behavior since you guys almost voted me out for being behind on
dues and orchestrating the First Annual Spring Snack Bar Food Fight, where the Dean of Women, a surly

piece of work, took a juicy slice of blueberry pie on her white wool dress. You will be happy to note
I never sucked butt to become a judge or prosecuted anyone who was innocent or a fraternity brother.

"One of my best memories of the Fraternity years was a giant bonfire at the annual Homecoming Rally.
At the edge of the inferno was a pseudo- outhouse that was nearly fully engulfed in flames when a
drunken Gerry Singer, of Phi Tau, came bounding out of the smoke. That impressed me so much I had a
large firepot built near my pool and have re-created that scene -- while sober -- several times,
sitting in crappy Adirondack chairs I have ineptly built. So far I have not had to leap in the pool, but
I never know if the persons gathered around the fire are cheering for me or the fire, nor is it a given they
will let me out. I took the rubber raft drift trip down the river to Sac State every summer for a few years
with Rich Sutton and another college roommate, Bill Bonham of Sigma Alpha Everyone, but eventually
tired of their attempts to drown me and I got too old to swim after the raft. Thanks to Tomasini and
Withers, I learned to cook and, as I look back, their tolerance and patience for my idiotic behavior far
exceeded that of my first wife. I am now happily married to Teri, whom you will meet, and we have 5 children.

"A Fraternity House Memory Test: Delta Delta Delta and Kappa Gamma. Okay, now that you are awake
and stimulated, how many of you have enough brain cells left to remember the large cockroach that
used to walk out to the end of the kitchen faucet and cock his head at us as if to say, "Where's the
rent, sucka?" or Derby after (his daily dose of) wine getting "pacified" by Arnie Carston; or the guy
(whose name I won’t mention) who kept a cockroach in a jar as a pet, frequently (!) forgot to flush
the toilet and, of course, became a psychologist; Sipes as a sadistic Pledge master; Fitzer and Foy
being Fitzer and Foy 24/7; or the time the guys from a University of Pacific Animal House Frat came
to torch our House with cans of gasoline for an indiscretion we had committed and instead were turned
away by a grinning, toothless Dick Hotchkiss holding a .45 and giving them directions to the "Teke"
House -- and all the stuff Sutton was constantly doing or the Sacramento City College sorority girls

I arranged an Exchange Social with or the junior high band, "The Nightriders" I got to play for tips
and you guys were so cheap they only made about six dollars and beer? If those are the highlights, this is
going to be some male bonding Reunion and I'm coming armed . . . See you there." - Gary "Quill" Rempel,
Social Chairman '66, Sept. 28, 2004

George Grossman
- "It was great getting the e-mails about the Old Gal and the upcoming Sig Bust -- put me down for
attending this great reunion. To update my information, my address is: 4903 E. Harmony Ave.,
Mesa, AZ 85206. Home # is 480-985-2575. My wife, Bev, and I have lived in the great parched
southwest for the past 6 years, coming here from Detroit, MI and previous to that -- stops in
Chicago, Rock Island and 3 years in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. We are going to Chicago
in 2 weeks for a wedding and will have a picture taken, suitable for placing on the website.
(Following message was received two weeks later). Look forward to getting more information
about the Sigbust and those who will be
attending. At last I have a fairly decent picture to send - at least one fit to print in such a fine publication
as the Siggy Raider - My wife and I were in the Chicago area this past weekend for a wedding. So there
was a perfect opportunity for a picture of myself in semi formal attire....Still have all my teeth and my hair
is still dark ( a little gray is creeping in). My only complaint is I have more chins than I need and am
trying to lose the extra chins (again). I have been in contact with Mike Levison and he and his wife will
be in Phoenix in Jan '05 for a marathon - so we will see them. In talking to Gary Bramon, I found
out that Gary and Jack Jenkins come to Mesa in the spring for spring training. Jack's son is a pro baseball
player for the Brewers - so we hopefully will see them in the spring of '05. Looking forward to the Sig Bust.
" - George Grossman, Sept. 28, 2004

Arel (Ralph) Thomas
- "Jack Jenkins gave me a call and told me all about the upcoming reunion. All these faces and trying to
put it all in sequence is a challenge to the memory cells in my brain..providing I can till find mine!
I lived at the 21st and "T" street pad until mid 1963 and, like the rest of us, have great memories.

The first photo (see Gamma Nu Photo Gallery index for this and other photos of Ralph entertaining)
is of a little performance I gave at one of the parties and shows several familiar faces
in the background (especially the middle picture). After Sac State I kept going north and ended up
in Seattle working as a guitar single in all of the bigger hotels in the area. I was very lucky and hooked
up with a good agent that kept me busy for several years and I traveled in that venue throughout the U.S.
From '74 to '80 I lived in Las Vegas and had three different show groups, returning to Seattle in '80.
I did about 26 cruise ship engagements to Alaska, Mexico and South America plus stopping in Florida
as an opening act for Florence Henderson (another photo), Kay Ballard, Larry Storch, and several other
theatre people. I was very lucky, also, in finding a great woman to share this with me.
We have four grandkids..the oldest is a senior in high school. (Good God!!) We're still living in the
Seattle area (Woodinville) NE of the city. Life is good and hope all is well with everyone. Fred Lizalde
was responsible for my coming to Sacramento. We both are from Santa Maria and he will be always
remembered for his gentle words, kind smile, and caring soul. So many stories to share..so little time!!

"I was never that good at golf....enjoyed the walking, though. Up here I end up holding the umbrellas!
I met my wife, Kathy, when I returned from Las Vegas. We will be married 25 years next July.
(2nd marriage for both). I also teach organ and piano at Prosser Piano & Organ..we have 4 stores
in the area and emphasize classes for "seniors". Since we're all on the edge of that, I find it to be fun
just listening to all of their stories and get a glimpse of what lies ahead!! We have a ball together and
I look forward everyweek to "Playtime".
The last pic is one that was taken at a Xmas party I played for in '03 for the Mercedes Owner's
association. (They turned out to be nice people, anyway...Ho Ho).
We will be trying to get down for the reunion. Placing all the faces with names is great fun and
hope to hear from all of my brothers and little sisters. I remember a few songs we used to sing
that I don't think we can post on the web..at least not with the grandkids around. It was a good
time and place. Take care.." - Arel (Ralph) Thomas, October 2, 2004.

Art Derby
- "Art is one of California’s last hunters and gatherers. He still grows things to eat and is semi-retired.
When he works it is in outside sales. Wife Kim owns a public records research company. They have
two adult children. Their son Pete is married and their daughter Lisa is on the faculty at Biola University in Southern California.

She plans to return to Northern California in the spring. Meanwhile, Kim and Art are praying for
grandchildren. After graduation, Kim and I worked for government agencies in San Francisco from 1967 to 1970.
Then I transfered to the Bureau of Land Management from 1970 to 1978 and Kim was a mom and
homemaker. I resigned in late 1978 and Kim and I started a housecleaning service in the Silicon
Valley. In 1984, I started outside sales on the side and went full time in 1996 when we moved back to
the Sacto area and settled in Citrus Heights. I sold labels and tags up until 9/11 and now sell advertising
on the back of the receipt tapes on Safeway and Albertsons. Kim feels as if she came home
and this is as good as spot as any for me to end up.

"It was great reading the different stories that have come in so far. I am looking forward to the
Sig Bust next spring. You may not remember, but you are the one who taught me not to wear
white socks with dress shoes. Kim (Beta Phi Beta - wife of 38 years - introduced by Dennis Sartini - the
Italian gentleman who tried to teach me how to wash lettuce and eata spaghetti) gets
mad at me when I do it now. A guy named Jerry, from Isleton, taught me how to tuck in my
shirt. (That was hard on my ego.) This was all in the early days of the T street house. I guess I was
pretty opinionated back then. (Did they make the movie, Animal House, after us?)

"Ran into Danny Barber the other day, and we started right off as if there hadn’t been close to
40 years apart. I miss Hotch. I made him mad at me a few years ago at an Alpha Sig reunion.
Guess I was pretty opinionated. Much of the college years are still a fog, as represented by some
of the other notes. Things I remember are raining beer down on Tim Fitzers’s head as we drove off road
at one of the early sig busts. (Fitzer being one of the original ORVers.) I remember Fitzer in his big bike
race at the Greek games on his one speed. Where is Jeff Roberts?

"I remember when Hotchkiss shot a deer, and we were cooking the ribs at T street. Barber wanted some.
We told him it was a dog. I think he joined us, very tasty. I remember Fred Lizalde taking care of me
several times. Thanks for having his photo on the site. My best to Vivian - we got to live across the street
from them for a while in Bakersfield. I think of him often. Sorry to hear he passed away. Most of my
remembrances are positive. Some are with regret. I apologize to those I offended. I met Steve Foy’s
daughter in a business transaction a couple of years ago. She is a sweetheart.
Life has been good. Hope to see you next spring. Looking forward to time with all who can make it.
Fraternally," - Art Derby, 8072 Phoebe Way, Citrus Heights, CA. 95610. Telephone 916-729-8958.
October 10, 2004

More from Brother Rempel about Brother Derby

(The following response to Art's statement came from Gary Rempel a day after it was posted - "Wow, Sartini
found Derby a nice lady to give him 38 years of stability--that is great and another
example of Sartini the Class Act! However, Art's apology for all the fondly remembered misdeeds
that made him a classic and the prototype for one of the Animal House characters is making me weep
a bit and feel like maybe I should publicly apologize also. Won't happen. I have the photo of Barber
standing atop Derby's shoulders about 5 stories high, on the peaked roof of the "K" street fraternity
house, adjusting the TV antenna. That was the singularly most insane, life-threatening episode of one
particular day, but all in a day's work for those two. As for Barber eating what Derby told him was
dog, it would be equally believable and delicious if Derby was told it was ROAD KILL dog. I lived
in the house and remember those guys' eating habits, but wonder if they can remember the huge bags
of 3-day-old donuts I used to get for a dollar a bag at some all night donutery. We used to heat them
in the oven to soften them up enough to be wolfed down with milk (some probably using Red Mountain
or flat, keg beer) - or the alley behind a catering truck service where I often salvaged the day's
uneaten sandwiches. We would remove the soggy lettuce and the rest of the sandwich would be fine
cuisine. This harvesting practice stopped abruptly when we found a large, dead rat next to the garbage
cans - with no apparent cause of death! If the Committee to reconstitute Sig Bust needs another set of ideas
locked in a 60s time warp, I can make it in January, given about 3 weeks lead time to adjust my court
appearances." - Gary Rempel, 760-727-9105. Oct. 14, 2004 >

Milt Briggs
- "I'm retired from the school district (San Juan Unified in Greater Sacramento) after 34 years as a speech therapist. I had
a grant last year to do musical story telling with the whistle from the Puffin Foundation in schools.
I have been working to develop my musicianship and performing for a variety of events. I have been

performing at Apple Hill (High Hill) on the weekends through October.
It is very honest work - tips, free lunch, selling CDs, and a pie to take home. I play, sing, and whistle
whatever I feel like. I perform some of the best melodic whistling anywhere, but I don't get the
recognition that a couple of the New York whistlers do. They have agents and political connections.
I'm a Maverick, but I like it. Most people don't think of the human whistle as a musical instrument, but
it has been my main musical
instrument all my life. I support whistling with my own musical arrangements using guitar, piano, and keyboard.
I learned to whistle when I was 4 years old. When I was 10 years old I began performing with
the choir of the small country school I attended. The choir would sing the verse and I would whistle
the chorus. We performed at other schools and elsewhere in the community. People loved it. Amazingly,
from the time I was 12 I didn't whistle for an audience until I was 41 years old. Working a day job
and raising a family took up my energies. I am now devoting more time to performing and recording.

"My arrangements are "for a whistler by a whistler." I have composed 40 pieces for whistling that
have a wide variety of styles - classical to jazz and blues. My CD "Milt Briggs Champion Whistler" has 9
of my original pieces for whistling and 9 traditional tunes. The compositions I have written suit my
complex and difficult technical style of whistling. I am a respected maverick in the whistling community
because I am self-accompanied. I always perform with live music. I was awarded the International
Grand Champion Award in 1985. Since that time I have received the Lillian Williams Award for Professional
Whistlers and been selected for the Whistlers Hall of Fame. I have judged International and National
competitions and been an honored guest at the International Whistling convention in Louisburg,
North Carolina." - Brother Milt, Oct. 14, 2004. (Parts of this statement have been lifted from Milt's two websites
that promote his records. They are at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/miltbriggs (which includes samples of his music) and
at http://miltbriggs.com/1024x768/index5.htm.)

Gary Bramon
- "Toni and I just returned from Gettysburg where we did our second Gettysburg Civil War tour. We had

a great time and learned a lot. We're still looking for many brothers; thought we had a lead today on Gordon
Walsh and Raul Quezada. Turned out to be dead ends but I did learn that Ruly recently moved to
Fresno CA. Anybody know where he is? I loved the pictures of the brothers....I thought I looked better
than that then, oh well. Thanks again." - Gary Bramon, Nov. 1, 2004, Novato, CA

Gary Toombs
- "Gary asked me to send this for him -- he hates computers. Gary spent 30 years in administration
at California State University Stanislaus in Turlock, CA. In 1999 he had a heart attack, probably brought
on by stress, so it was the perfect time to retire. Since retirement he has been working with me in
commercial real estate (no stress there!) We have two grown children - Dan and his family live in
Yarm, England and Tracee and her family live in Turlock two doors down the street from us.
We have six grandchildren - three in England and three in Turlock.

We try to travel as much as we can. With our son in England we try to go there twice a year. We
just returned from two weeks in England and two weeks in Italy. The attached pictures (posted on the

Siggy Raider photo album page) were taken on our trip to Italy where we took a week-long
cooking class, thus the picture of Gary in the kitchen. Hope to see everyone soon. It's nice to be back
in touch." - Pam and Gary Toombs, Nov. 5, 2004

Clyde Oliver West
- Clyde is listed in the Attorney Profiles section of the State Bar of California's website. It says he is
an active member and was admitted to the bar Jan. 5, 1972. It gives his address as P. O. Box
214630, Sacramento, CA 95821, and his telephone number as 916-971-1300. - The
listing was found by Jack Schafer, Dec. 5, 2004.

Joe Mehrten
- Joe and his wife, Ann, operate their third-generation, working cattle ranch at Clements, CA. The ranch,
the site of Sig Bust gatherings in the 1960s, includes a B&B called Grand Oaks Inn. The inn has four bedrooms
decorated with family heirlooms
and offers a pool, large hot tub and great meals. A brochure from an affiliate advertises that
Joe is hosting several tour groups in 2005. He is associated
with Heritage Tours of Clements, Calif. The firm's November newsletter promotes a wide range of travel
opportunities in the Clements-Lodi area, other locations in California and also some international destinations. On
the schedule is "Heritage Picnic, Ranch Pasture Party" for April 16. It features
"a leisurely day for family, friends and grandchildren among wild flowers on the Mehrten Ranch. Enjoy
succulent tri-tip barbecued over oak coals served with all the trimmings and a beverage. Games, live
music and entertainment. Price: $8 per person in advance. Reservations will not be taken after April 10."
Other day trips in Central California led by Joe include a tour of Filoli Gardens April 7,
a performance of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" April 10,
and a tour of Castles in Calveras County April 30. In addition, Joe is leading a 9-day trip to Washington DC May 14-22
and a two-week trip to Peru Oct. 27-Nov. 10, 2005.
For reservations and information contact Joe at 209-759-3713 or 866-759-3713. - The
Heritage Tours brochure was passed on by Gary and Toni Bramon Dec. 20, 2005.

Gerry Hatcher
- Gerry Hatcher has maintained the muscled and very fit physique that once made him a standout halfback
on the Sac State football team. Now divorced, he relocated in 2004 from California to Greater Memphis,

where he bought
a house with a swimming
pool in the suburb of Collierville, Tenn. Two of his four daughters
also live in the thriving community, where they, too, enjoy a lot more house for a lot less money than in Northern
California. Gerry
is retired after coaching and teaching in Northern California high schools and middle schools for 36 years.
Thirty of those years were in a school system
that serves Travis Air Force Base. Over his long career he coached just about every sport, mainly football. Gerry enjoys
spending two days a week watching his grandchildren. On other days he works out at the YMCA and plays golf for
as little as $20 a round, with cart - far lower than the prices charged on comparable courses in California. He still
has his Alpha Sig fraternity pin and his letter jacket from Sac State, where he excelled in football and track.
Gerry travels a good bit, logging recent trips to
Puerto Rico and several countries in Western Europe. He plans to be in Sacramento in the summer
of 2005 for his class reunion. When not on the road, he works part-time as a substitute teacher. -
Reported by Buzz Nolan Jan. 18, 2005 based on comments made by Gerry during a dinner the previous evening that was
arranged
by Dewey Howell for the "Three Amigos," all transplanted Californians now living in the Memphis area.
They call themselves the "Gamma Grits Outpost"
of Gamma Nu chapter of Alpha Sig and plan to get together at least quarterly.

John Martinez
- "Great to hear from you "old guys", looking forward to the reunion. I retired in 2001 from coaching at
Laney Community College (Oakland). Married 28 years this time around; first marriage was a bust.
I have a son, 39 years old.; stepson, 38 years, and we have a daughter 26. One grandson, almost 4.
We live in Sun City Lincoln Hills, Calif. (Del Webb retirement community). Great place to live and have fun."
- John Martinez, Jan. 21, 2005.

Jim Cook -
"Wow!!!. Seeing the pics and brief bios of Gamma Nu Brothers brought back a flood of memories
of my youth and the "Old Gal." Except you guys look old; I look the same (yea, right). I haven't
included a photo of me because I don't have any good ones (too ugly, I guess) and, like
Dick Hotchkiss, my computers skills don't go much beyond the keyboard. As Dick says,
"Too much shit in the head makes for sleepless nights."

Some of my prized possessions today are from my fraternity days. The tomahawk,
which each of us Pledges had to make and carry to school every day, hangs in my den.
The tomahawk has the names of my Pledge Brothers on the handle, among them, Pete Siller.
I was glad to read about the tribute to Pete in the Siggy Raider by Buzz Nolan. Pete was
not only a Brother to me, he was a Pledge Brother. Every time I go by Capitol Park in
Sacramento, I go by the Vietnam Memorial and look up Pete's name. Even my granddaughter
knows the name, Pete Siller, and that he was my Brother.

My fraternity beer mug also has a place in the den (unfortunately, it's full of pens and
pencils these days). I still wear (on and off) my Sac State class ring with the Alpha Sig
letters in the stone. The lettering on the ring is worn. It's had a rough life, including being
dropped down the hole in a pyong-so (outhouse) in Uijonbu, Korea, (but that's another story, for another time).

When I pledged, we had the T and S Street houses. We tore the T Street house
apart (with the owner's approval) when they told us they were going to demolish it after
we moved. The S Street house is still standing (an office building now). I remember the well-endowed
red head in the apartment building next door who used to strip for us in her living room each evening.
There were times we had so many guys looking out that one bedroom window that I'm surprised
the house didn't tip over. I remember the brick barbeque that my pledge class built as our pledge
project. Unfortunately, the barbeque is now gone, the back yard paved over for parking.

I remember Jack Jenkins (I will not go into his nicknames--we all know what they were) jumping
off the bed in the bedroom above the living room so hard, during a party, that the chandelier in
the living room fell to the floor. I remember us turning the lights out in the house during parties
and Mr. Monk trailing behind, turning the lights back on. I also remember when he dumped
out some really good punch at a party downtown. I think that was the night that Larry Jenkins'
date barfed into his shirt pocket.

I remember when my pledge class had a booth during Greek Week. We decided on a
chorus line, with Rimas as the featured stripper. We were such a hit that we were asked
for a repeat performance at a subsequent fraternity party. Pete Siller got rave reviews for
his high kicks as, apparently, he didn't have anything on under his skirt.

After I graduated in '65 I did some traveling. I stayed in Alpha Sig houses at Iowa
State University, Ames Iowa, at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, at
Presbyterian College in South Carolina, and I partied with Alpha Sigs from Purdue
on Daytona Beach, Florida. In Chicago I learned to drink Submarines and I drank
Purple Jesus (their own concoction-go figure)) with brother Alpha Sigs at Presbyterian
College.

Somewhere along the way I spent 3 years in the Army. I couldn't be an officer because
of my poor eyesight, so I settled for being a Communications Center Specialist (boy, did I
get conned on that one). I spent a year and a half near the DMZ, in the "Land of the Morning
Calm," South Korea and a year at MacDill AFB in Tampa FL, in the US Strike Command.
In Korea I saw Lenny Pollochi at Yong Song. Wow, half a world away and there was a
Gamma Nu Brother.

After the Army, I spent a few years in various jobs, one of which was an Insurance Claims
Adjuster in Reno. My claims territory was all of the Lake Tahoe area (tough duty). One
day, when a few of us were at coffee, one guy mentioned belonging to a fraternity and one
of the others said--oh you were one of those "frat" guys. We took a survey around the table
and it seems that all of us, except for the non-frat guy, were fraternity men. He never used
the word "frat" in front of us again. One of my friends and neighbors today is an Alpha Sig from Cal, Berkeley.

In 1971, I married my wife, Zoe. She had two children and we
had one more together. My kids today are Michael, 41, Andrea, 37, and Jason,
32. I have two granddaughters, Tatiana, 16 and Brianna, 9.

I recently retired from
State service as a Supervising Criminal Investigator, with 34 years of State service. Today,
I'm just a retired guy, but I'm still biking and running. Over the years I've completed a lot of century rides,
four double centuries and the Markleville Death Ride twice; I've run a ton of short runs,
and a few 30Ks and marathons. I've acquired many aches and pains over the years, but
as long as I can put one foot in front of the other I plan on continuing. My goal is to
keep biking and running 'til the day I die (or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof).

I ride every Saturday with a couple of other old farts and, for the past 11 years I've run
every weekday morning with my running partner, my 12-year-old German Shepherd, Sasha.
We've both slowed over the years, but we're still out pounding the pavement by
about 5:45 AM each day. I estimate that she and I have run over 10,000 miles
together. That's a lot of companionship. Don't know yet if I'll be able to make it to
Sig Bust, but I'll be there with you in spirit if I'm not
able to make it." - Jim Cook, Sacramento, March 4, 2005

Dan Smith -
"Hi Gary. Thanks for the effort in organizing the reunion. Sorry I cannot join the event. I do return to
California frequently (I have a home in Rancho Mirage), but I will be in classes until April 8. I have attached
my cv (very long) and a short bio for your information. Please pass on my best regards to
everyone at the reunion." - Daniel W. Smith, Ph.D., P.Eng., FRSC, Professor and CRC, Environmental
Engineering, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Canada. The curriculum
vitae states Dan got his B.S. in civil engineering at Sac State in 1967, his M.S. in sanitary engineering at
Cal State - San Jose in 1968 and his Ph.D. in environmental health engineering at the U of Kansas in 1970.
His current teaching responsibilities include undergraduate Environmental Engineering and computer
applications, and graduate courses in physical-chemical and biological treatment processes, management
of water quality, distribution and collection systems and cold climate utilities systems. His research activities
include conventional and advanced water and wastewater treatment, ozone treatment techniques, water
quality and distribution system problems.

Larry Mentink -
"Recognized the names, if not the faces. I'm living in Bangkok, Thailand. If any of the Sigs are planning a
trip on this side of the pond, I'd be happy to see them. I've been living here since 1986 and am
teaching English at a uni here. I retired from the Army in 1981 and divorced in '86.Replaced
my Ex with a beautiful 26 year old. Growing old disgracefully." - Larry Mentink, Bangkok, April 17,
2005, an Alpha Sig since Spring, 1962.

Al Mason -
"I’ll try to reply with a bit of information here and there about what’s been happening with my life
since so long ago at Sac State – and to me that does seem like a very long time ago. Sorry I could
not make it to the reunion. It would have been nice to see you and other friends from college days.

"After Sac State I worked for a short while as a technical writer at what was then called Douglas
Aircraft at a rocket testing station just outside Sacramento. There I quickly learned I should go
back to school, and soon managed to get accepted in the PhD program at UC Davis. Most
anthropologists do a kind of research involving ‘fieldwork’ -- mine was in the Amazon in Brazil,
where I lived with and studied the social life of a native group called the Oronao’. That led to a
teaching job in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, at a small Catholic university, that
didn’t mind hiring non-Catholics as long you did your work. At first this was to be a one-year
or, at most, two-year job, but I got hooked by the location and culture (I had wanted to return
to the east coast where I grew up) and spent the rest of my career there, retiring two years ago.
Mandatory retirement at 65 had been brought in to get rid of the older, expensive faculty.

"I met my wife at the university – she taught Spanish and literature – and we brought together her
three kids and my one into a family that we’re proud of. All three of Nela’s kids live in Montreal, and
my son lives in Monterrey, Mexico, where he’s a schoolteacher. And we have three grandchildren now!!

"You mentioned being on the Bay of Fundy watching whales. Now that’s a place I know
fairly well, having crossed it many times in my own and in friends’ boats. I don’t much like it
because, as you say, it’s cold, and it can be a nasty place for sailing. It’s a great place to get
seasick, especially when the tidal current runs one direction and the wind the opposite, setting up
wicked, choppy water. But it’s also great for whale watching. One day Nela’s youngest son
and I were sailing off Campobello Island when we were visited by three whales that seemed
too interested in our boat. They crossed our bow and then came up from behind and looked
us over from an uncomfortably close vantage point. I thought we were going to be the object
of an amorous interlude.

"John McPhee’s article (in The New Yorker, about UPS shipping live lobsters from Canada's Maritime
Provinces) brought to mind sailing around lobster pots in Maine, which is much like doing an
obstacle course. It’s a wonder there are any lobster left in Maine if the number of traps and lines
are any indication. The lines get tangled in the boat propellers, and even worse, sometimes in the
rudder, and that’s bad news. A few years ago I met an old gentleman in Port Mouton, Nova Scotia,
who anchored next to me there. Later that year I read about him in a sailboat disaster story. He
had got tangled up with lobster pot lines in Maine, which reduced his ability to steer. For some
strange reason – the debilities of age no doubt -- rather than get the problem fixed, he proceeded
on southward, only to get blown ashore in a storm in New Jersey, destroying his beautiful boat
and a wharf. He had to be lifted off his boat by a Coast Guard helicopter. No one wants
to go over the side of a boat with a serrated knife to saw off polypropylene line – the water is
cold – but sailing in Maine means you have to be prepared to do just that.

"I guess you can see that sailing is my obsession. When it became obvious we would retire, we bought
a new sail boat, a day sailer, 28 feet in length, that we keep on a large lake near Fredericton. It’s

a beautiful boat, designed in 1932 by a famous American boat designer
named L. Francis Herreshoff. At this time of year I’m busy at varnishing the teak,
painting the part of the hull that stays in the water, and so on. Recently I’ve also taken up
boat building as a hobby. My first production is an 11 and ˝ foot row boat (also a
Herreshoff design). Another boat, a 17 foot sailboat, is next, once I finish off the
full-size line drawings. Sailing is something I took up more than 30 years ago, first
as a small dinghy sailor. Sometimes I crew for other people, sailing around Nova
Scotia, or down the East coast. The longest trip I’ve made was from Florida to
Maine in what turned out to be a hellish voyage with a friend, who unfortunately
turns into a nutcase when he gets on the water. In the 30 years of sailing I’ve tried
all sorts of boats, from racing dinghies to a Star class boat to cruising boats, and enjoyed them all.

"The McPhee article has some information I never imagined, and probably didn’t need to
know – dead lobsters make their way to Asian buffets, which is another good reason
not to go there – and how bull semen makes its way from Nebraska to Montana. I would
have thought some cowboy on horseback directed bulls along a long worn trail.

"My wife, Nela, is originally from Argentina. Occasionally we go there, she more often than me.
It’s a long, tiring and expensive trip, but always nice to visit the relatives, eat empanadas
and drink good wine. After retirement, Nela has become even more involved in her writing,
art and research than when we were at the university. She has a number of books of
poetry, and gets published quite a bit in anthologies, academic journals, and so on.
Her research is on the earliest woman poet in the Americas. And she does quite a
bit of art work as well. Last night she just returned from a conference in Montreal,
where she was the keynote speaker. As usual, every time she goes to one conference,
she gets more invitations to travel to other places, like universities, for talks. So she is
staying very active.

"I’d better wrap this up for now. The sun is shining and the temps are climbing, so I’m out to the garage
to do some varnishing. Best regards. - Al Mason, May 10, 2005

John Alexander -
Brigadier General John R. Alexander, an Alpha Sig at Sac State, was named Acting Adjutant General of
the California National Guard by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger June 7, 2005. A press release from
the governor's office said, "Alexander has served in the California National Guard for more than 37 years. He
has served as assistant adjutant general for the past year where his responsibilities included

oversight of the day-to-day operations of the California National Guard Military Department Headquarters.
Previously, he served for 13 years on active duty with the National Guard Bureau as the United States
property and fiscal officer for California. In this capacity, he was the accountable federal officer for all
government funds and property provided to the California Army and Air National Guard.

"Alexander began his military career in the California National Guard in 1966 as an enlisted member
of the 118th Maintenance Company. He was commissioned in 1968 through the California Military
Academy Officer Candidate School and has served at all levels of command in Ordinance, Finance and
Transportation assignments throughout his career. In addition, Alexander has received many awards
including the Legion of Merit Award, the Army Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation
Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on
Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.

"Alexander, 61, earned a master's degree in public administration from the University of San Francisco and
a Bachelor of Science degree from Sacramento State College. This position does not require Senate
confirmation and he will continue to receive his current compensation. Alexander is a Republican. Alexander
fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Major General Thomas Eres effective June 7, 2005."

A few days later, Brother Alexander wrote a few lines about his assumption of command: "Well Buzz,

One never knows. I don't know how long this opportunity will last so I'm working hard
and enjoying each day. So far so good. As you can imagine, the first few days we had a lot
of anxious people and a hyperventilating grape vine. Happy to say, things have calmed down
considerably and we are back to the business of running the Guard." - John Alexander, June 18, 2005.

Meanwhile, Jack Schafer passed on a June 9, 2005 report in the Sacramento Bee that said,
"It was an appointment he neither sought nor expected, but as the new acting head of the
California National Guard, Brig. Gen. John R. Alexander said that he will continue his
predecessor's agenda and ignore the infighting that played a role in forcing the resignation of his boss.
"I'm not here for a handful of people who are disgruntled," Alexander said in an interview in his
Sacramento office. "I'm here for the 20,000 Air Guard and Army Guard soldiers who need to
have stable, level-headed leadership."That background noise, that hum, has always been here," he
said of the critics within the Guard. "It just has different names."

Larry Jenkins -
"Buzz it was great seeing everyone at the Sigbust in April.
I really appreciate your followup on the brothers through the internet. You may share with the guys
my bit of news, which demonstrates importance of our April gathering. The support of the brotherhood
is positive and affirming and something I know will be helpful in the coming months. This summer will be a
challenging one for me as I begin treatments for non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. It is one day at a time, and
the good news is that there are successful treatments for this cancer. I certainly hope so because
I want to attend the next Sigbust. Keep up the good work." - Best, Larry Jenkins, June 17, 2005, San Francisco.

Elizabeth Monk, widow of Brother Paschal Monk -
"I had a nice chat with Elizabeth Monk yesterday. Mrs. Monk is 99 years young.
She will be 100 on September 11, 2005. She is quite remarkable for a person almost 100. I called her
on Tuesday and asked if I might come over for a visit. She looks much the same as she did when we were
in school. Well, maybe she looks a little older, but then don't we all. She still lives in the same house she shared with Paschal
at 5600 State Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95819 (Telephone 916-451-1905). She has

a full time care-person. Her daughter lives nearby, in Rancho Cordova, and takes her to church and does other things
with her on Sundays. She recently took a trip to Boston (May 2005) to attend her grandson's wedding). She stills plays
the piano. This year, her birthday will be on Sunday and she is going to play the piano in church. She said they
are building the service that day around her, and they've already asked her to name her favorite hymns. I gave her a
dozen roses and a copy of Welcome to Siggy Raider. We reminisced a bit and talked about her family. She has
one daughter and three grandchildren. She told me she would enjoy reading about all the Alpha Sig Brothers. I told
her that Paschal would have been proud of the way we all turned out. She responded that yes, he would, but
that we were all smart boys (I know she wasn't talking about me). I gave her my address and phone number
and told her to call me if there was anything she ever needed. We should send her a card, or do something for
her, on her 100th birthday. Maybe one of the past presidents, on behalf of the Brothers, should do it." - Fraternally, Jim
Cook, July 7, 2005

A Reminisce about Pete Siller -

A floodgate of memories
opened wide yesterday when I read Gary Bramon's email about the plans for the
Sig Bust Reunion next April. It has probably been 40 years since I've had
contact with any of my fraternity brothers.

Gary had tracked me down
from a directory that the national fraternity had distributed. Evidently I gave
them my telephone number in a moment of sentimental weakness some years ago;
the experience of life has taught me to be leery of providing contact or personal
information to not-for-profit organizations. Such guarantees that you will be
asked for money time and again, often by telephone right at dinnertime.

But in this case, I'm glad
I did. The email and a subsequent telephone conversation with Gary and our former
chapter president, Jack Jenkins (whose son is playing professional baseball for
the Milwaukee Brewers), made my day. Aw hell, hearing their voices and jointly
recalling the memories of great times we enjoyed together made my week and
maybe even my month.Taking a page from
hippie Abbie Hoffman's quote about remembering the 1960's, I joked,
"Anyone who remembers all the fun we had in Alpha Sig did not fully
participate in fraternity activities."

Of course, now that I am
61 (I still have all my hair but it is mostly gray; my onetime swimmer's body
is more whale-shaped than Spitz-shaped), my recollections are somewhat spotty.
As I told a pal the other day, "I have never forgotten anything - at least
not that I recall."

My memories of our times
in the early 1960s are surprisingly intense today, despite the passage of four
decades. Most of those memories are pleasant. A few are not. I am still in pain

from the body blow we received in early 1968 with the news that our fraternity
brother - and my best friend of many years - Pete Siller had been killed in
Vietnam. I had grown up with Pete and recruited him into the fraternity about
1963. I departed Sac State for Ole Miss (drawn by the beauty of Southern women, SEC football
and low admissions standards) the next year. Pete
transferred to the University of Hawaii (drawn by the challenge of big wave surfing) a year later. Nonetheless, Pete and
I got together
for Scuba diving and body surfing in Santa Cruz during the summers and when home for holidays. We once
raised the ire of our
brothers by "borrowing" the fraternity rubber boat to raft down the
American River during a Christmas flood - drawing some unwelcome attention from
police and rescue personnel as well as apparently holing the craft in the
process. I've always regretted not joining him and other pals for a gold-diving expedition to Costa Rica
one summer. They didn't recover any gold jewelry supposedly worn by human sacrifices tossed into
deep, water-filled pits by ancient Indians. But Pete & Party had a great time. Instead, I wimped out and
went to summer school to pull my GPA out of the pits.

Pete and I went into the
Marines about the same time, with me enlisting because the draft board was
breathing down my neck. I remember Pete telling me when we were teens about how
he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father and join the Marines to
prove his manhood. Not that Pete ever needed to prove anything. He was a man's
man, courageous, direct and forceful. He had been a cross-country runner in
high school and had the toughness of a crocodile, plus advanced swimming,
surfing and sky-diving abilities. He could also play classical piano music with strength and grace.

We were both at Quantico, VA, at the same time. I
ended up as a corporal
and editor of the base newspaper. Pete soon went to Vietnam as a second
lieutenant commanding an infantry platoon. I skated 'Nam because of a freak
accident. My orders for MACV came a few months later, when my right leg was in a cast due to a
broken ankle. By the time I was fit for duty, I was too short to ship out. I
soon exited the service on a school cut, entered grad school, and worked as a
newspaperman in Memphis and later as a corporate communications executive with
a global pharmaceutical company.

I lived. Pete died.

I remember getting
awakened in the Quantico barracks in the middle of a winter night to take a
telephone call. Another close friend had called me from Sacramento with the
terrible news about Pete's death. Later, I found out the details through an
internal Marine Corps report. He had been nearly cut in half by VC machine gun
fire while on patrol in Quang Tri Province. Pete was "in country" for less than two weeks. A few years later, I was in
Sacramento to visit my family and called Pete's mother. My suggestion of a
visit was politely turned aside, evidently because she didn't want to reopen an
old wound.

I wept like a baby the
first and subsequent times I've visited the Vietnam Memorial in Washington and
touched his name carved into the wall. I still grieve and tear up when I think
about Pete's life that was lost so young. It is so sad that our fraternity
brother and 50,000 other young guys who were so full of vigor and confidence
were denied the joys of marriage, children and other pleasures most of us have experienced over the years. Pete was a
wonderful friend and a lot of fun. I think he would have been a good husband
and a great father. His old-time values, his loyalty and his strong work ethic
would have likely resulted in the success and satisfaction that comes from
decades of work well performed. His was a life that could have been but wasn't.

Every time I've been in
Sacramento for the last 30 years - which has not been often even though my two
brothers still live and work there - I unfailingly visit East Lawn Cemetery's El
Dorado mausoleum. Pete's crypt is No. 2/43 in the west section, upstairs.I usually brush away the cobwebs on an
artificial flower arrangement, shed a few tears, say a prayer and leave some
fresh flowers on the floor.

- Buzz Nolan, August
27, 2004

Reminisces about some other brothers -

As I went down the initial list of Alpha Sig alumni named in
Gary Bramon's initial email of August, 2004, I found myself struggling with putting faces to some of
the names. I guess that is what 40 years of non-contact will do to you. I
continue to get The Tomahawk, published by the national Alpha Sigma Phi
organization, but it seems that news of Gamma Nu is sparse. That is probably
because the chapter went dark not long after I moved to the South (not
connected!). I've been told that chapter members were involved in a cafeteria
food fight in the mid or late 1960s and the fraternity was booted from campus.

Two of the most memorable years of my late teens were spent
in and around the fraternity house - even if many of the memories of them are
blurred in a beery haze. Good Gawd, what a wild and rowdy bunch we were in the
early 1960's. I think the pounding many of us get as we move through the cycles of life has worn
down most of the rough edges and cooled the hot blood of young manhood. Today, I not only march in the
Fuddy Duddy Parade, I carry a banner. But I fondly recall spending one semester as the unofficial "keg
master," having learned from an older, graduating brother the art and
delicate craft of inserting a spigot into a 10-gallon keg of beer without
turning it into foam. Here are a few random memories of long-ago times, which are offered in a
spirit of good will in the hopes that they may trigger responses or other
memories for future publication.

Dennis Sartini - After a long evening of way too much
fun, several of us repaired to an all-night breakfast restaurant. It may have
been on Broadway. All but one of us ordered burgers or eggs. Dennis insisted to
the waitress that she serve him an off-menu dish. He demanded a bowl of olives,
he told her, "Because I'm Italian. That's why." Even after all these
years, I salute Denny for his good-natured, patient responses to ethnic jokes
we cracked in his presence that would be intolerable today.

He, Jack Jenkins and several other brothers were living in an upstairs flat over a
laundry, perhaps on J Street near 16th. Somebody (may have beenTim Fitzer or another one of "The Comancheros") had somehow obtained an
incredibly gross movie, of what was known as the "blue genre." We had a guys-only
"smoker" in the apartment. It was with horror that Al turned off the
projector after one of the late-arriving brothers ran up the stairs and told Al
that the movie could be seen from the busy street and passing cars. It had been
projected on a translucent window shade. Al is one of the most intellectually
formidable guys I've ever known. We tried to exchange some philosophical
viewpoints by letter once I went off to college in Mississippi but I quickly
discovered that I was not in his league.

Raul Quezada - He was an absolute chick magnet. We
shared a downstairs room one summer in the frat house and I frequently had to
make myself scarce. On some nights
he had two or even three dates, carefully staged at different times. He drove
an El Camino with a mattress in the back. The guys knew him for having great
hands as an end on the college football team. The girls must have known his
hands for something else. Broke as usual, I spent the night on the floor of a room Ruly shared with somebody in Santa
Cruz during an Alpha Sig spring break outing. I remember one of the guys got such a terrible sunburn after nodding off
on the beach that he required medical attention.

Ed Pacheco - He was the fraternity clown. His frequent and snappy invocations of
Antonio Salazar, strong man of Ed's ancestral country of Portugal, were always good for a laugh. I've often thought
of Ed over the years
whenever I've been at a fancy banquet serving unfamiliar foods. One year our chapter had a big dinner at a nice
restaurant. We all had dates. We were freshly scrubbed and decked out in our logoed blue blazers. None of
us - not even the girls - had the slightest idea of how to eat the main dish, which turned out to be a squab stuffed
with wild rice. A bone like
that of a drumstick stuck out of the bird, flagpole style. After a long minute or two of hesitation and anxious looks up and down
the squared tables by everybody seeking guidance, Ed grinned and went first. He grabbed the roasted bird
by the protruding bone and bit
into it as though it were a chicken leg. Once the rice cascaded down his chest, we knew to use a knife and fork. Thanks,
Ed, for that lesson and for a lot of belly laughs. As my reward to you, I will now tell you her name was Suzanne.
I still chuckle
about the time I set up Ed with
with a cute blonde I'd known for years, walked him to her front door, made the appropriate introductions then refused to tell Ed
her name again once he promptly forgot it. The manuevers he went through to avoid introducing her
at that night's frat party took genius.

John Dille - John was another chick magnet who also had
frequent, multiple dates on the same evening. One of his late-date favorites
was a brunette horse fancier with flashing brown eyes. She lived in a basement
apartment across the street from the infamous flat where Mason and others lived
and often sought advice from John's fraternity brothers about their fractured
relationship. She and other admiring co-eds were thrilled by John's heroics on
the basketball court. I remember one game that came down to the final seconds,
when John worked the ball around the key for the final shot. He took the long
shot and won the game. The team went on to a national championship tournament
in Indiana with John as the star player.

John Georgeakakis - We had hired a small,
professional band for a party. It played "old folks" music well, but
our group wanted something livelier. The band's piano player was mightily
offended when John took over the keyboards, playing from ear the latest
rock-n-roll.

Steve Sipes - Like me, Steve was on the swimming
team. But he was better, especially in the breast stroke. His first love was
wrestling and he frequently invited others to take a few falls on the mat with
him. Strongguy. I heard he made a
career out of the military.

Ed Austin - Big Ed was afraid of nobody. He and other
members of the Sac State football team who were Alpha Sigs put the word
"jock" in our well-deserved and somewhat fearsome reputation for
being the "jock house" and not a group to mess with. The collective
athletic prowess we demonstrated in intramural sports crumbled during one of
the annual Rubber Boat Raft races down the American River. Our Navy surplus,
yellow raft was a wallowing pig in the water despite the heavily muscled arms
of our jock paddlers. We were beaten by a mile or more when a lightweight but
clever group of wimps in another fraternity acquired a Zodiac-like craft with close
to zero draft.

Condoms Aloft - One of our favorite tricks for party
nights was to inflate condoms to the size of small pillows. We would generate
static electricity by rubbing them on wool sweaters, and then stick them to the
darkened ceiling in the frat house living room before the co-eds arrived. During the evening, the electricity
would dissipate and the condoms would gently drift down to the revelers
beneath. Even the girls would join in the impromptu game of"Rubber Volleyball" by batting
them around the dance floor.

SteveFoy - It
wasn't until I had been to Ireland five times - mainly to play golf and
secondarily to do genealogy research - that I fully believed that Steve was
leveling with us when he told us his name was Irish and not Chinese. I learned that Foy is a common
name in the Emerald Isle. Sorry for
the sophomoric doubts, Steve.

Big Eaters - A post-party, hungry brother knows no
honor. Padlocks secured shelves and small cages that cut the refrigerators in
the frat house into private cooling areas. Everybody living in the house
quickly learned that a six-pack or hunk of cheese could not be left unprotected.

Joe Merhton - The last Sig Bust I attended was at the
ranch of Joe's family. I remember he was driving a horse-drawn carriage when
the horse somehow panicked and took off through the woods. He brought it under
control without injury or mishap but it was a scary moment for several us us. I
also remember a few of us had too much beer; we were so hungry that we ate
barbequed chicken long before it was done. It wasn't until years later that I
could eat grilled chicken.

-Wishing all the Alpha Sigs good health and much
happiness, Buzz Nolan

Photo Gallery
-

Members of Gamma Nu Chapter, Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity,
at Sacramento State College (now California State University – Sacramento) and
their families and friends are cordially invited to provide “then
and now” photos of fraternity brothers (family pictures are welcome!) for posting on a companion page, Photo Gallery.
Click the colored type below to see an index to full-size pictures. Several are on this
page as thumbnails. E-mail any
digital photos to Lewis “Buzz” Nolan at
lewis_nolan@yahoo.com. Mail any floppy disks, CD-ROMs or hard copy prints
to him at 196 North Highland, Memphis, TN 38111. Include a self-addressed,
stamped envelope if you want them returned after copying/scanning. If you don’t
care to chance a possible loss in the mail, take original photos to a camera
store for copying onto a disc.

A book published by the national Alpha Sigma Phi organization a quarter of a century ago
contains what is believed to be a full roster of the Gamma Nu Chapter at Sacramento State College. The roster
of the now-inactive chapter lists 99 names. The ASP book was purchased in 1981 by Gamma Nu's
George Max (a packrat who also saved several Sac State yearbooks and other sources of historical
information that are included, with gratitude, on the Siggy Raider website). To see the Gamma Nu Roster
click the following link and scroll down the displayed page to see
the heading and full list of names.

Buzz Nolan’s Alpha Sigma Phi Pledge Manual somehow survived
more than a dozen relocations across the country and back over the four decades
that separated his 1962 initiation into Gamma Nu chapter at Sacramento State
College and his ultimate move into his present home in Memphis, Tenn. Possibly
due to Buzz’s nascent reportorial abilities - but more likely due to the
demanding oversight of then-Pledge Trainer Al Mason - handwritten notes in the
back of Buzz’s Pledge Manual preserve some of the early chapter history and
list the officers from 1961-63. Click the colored type below to link to a companion page, Pages From The Past.

Michael Levison found his Gamma Nu membership card while going through some old papers in January,
2005. It was signed by Alpha Sigma Phi Grand Master Ralph Burns (now deceased). Click the colored
type below to see the historic card.

Little Sisters Caron (Case) Warddrip and Sally (Schock) Podesta penned songs for the Little Sisters
to sing to the brotherhood in 1963-64. Caron recently came across a copy of the lyrics. Click the colored
type below to see the lyrics.

The following suggestion was in an email sent by Michael Levison to several dozen fraternity brothers
Sept. 9, 2004. "I invite everyone to go to www.alphasigmaphi.org.
There you can register as a member of the Gamma Nu chapter.
Once you are registered you can see information on other brothers who have also registered. The site
has a complete list of everyone who was a member of the Gamma Nu chapter.
A lot of the information is out-of-date but it serves as a good starting point." - Michael Levison.
Click the colored type to link to the home page of the national fraternity.